Dance With Me
by SevenMegan
Summary: AU fic where the Legend of Zelda games are movies and the characters are actors. The City layout is similar to the Breath of the Wild map except now it's densely populated. This is a huge departure from my other fic. Please review, it's how I get better.
1. Chapter 1

The noon light poured in through Ganondorf's window by the time he woke up. His head was still pounding and his mouth felt dry. He groaned and rolled over to check his phone 11:32, the clock face read. He only had two new text messages. It was unusual for him to have any messages. Link had texted him at one that morning. "Hey buddy, happy birthday." followed by several Triforce emojis and a birthday cake emoji. The second message was a picture of Link and Zelda in a V.I.P booth at Telma's. He hadn't been invited out to join them, but at least Link remembered an hour after his birthday had already passed.

He stumbled out to his kitchen where two empty bottles of Goron Spice wine sat on his granite countertop next to a half empty jar of Chateau Romani and his wine glass. "Well that explains the headache." He grimaced and cleaned up his pathetic excuse for a birthday party. "I'm getting too old to drink like this." He muttered and set to work cleaning up his mess. He gulped down a glass of tap water and then mixed his special hangover cure breakfast in a blender. His dog sat patiently by her food bowl and whined at him. "Sorry, girl." He said, pouring a scoop and a half into the Koholint Shepard's bowl.

He looked out the large picture window of his high rise apartment at the view of the Gerudo district while he drank his breakfast. He thought he had gotten used to the loneliness, even convinced himself he liked it this way, but spending his birthday drinking alone in his apartment had him reconsidering a few life choices. He scrolled through his contacts list, the meager list of names were mostly work related acquaintances. Link, Zelda, Impa, Nabooru, Midna, his agent, his lawyer, Rhoam, he grimaced at the last name. He'd worked with a lot of different actors in the Legend of Zelda cinematic universe but not many had ever shared contact information with him during shooting. Very few of these ever really called him before and not ever now that he'd started his lawsuit. He put the phone down with a sigh and took a long sip of his breakfast. "Face it old man, no one wants to be friends with the bad guy."

He was startled when his phone actually rang and he picked it up. "Incoming call Talo and Malo Law Firm" of course it was just his lawyer. He answered.

"Ganondorf speaking."

"Ganon, it's your lawyer." He started in his usual fast pace.

"I know Talo. What do you need?" He ignored the shortening of his name this time.

"I just got off the phone with the representative from Hylia Cinema, they want to settle." He sounded excited.

Ganondorf sighed. Hylia Cinema at first had tried keeping the whole lawsuit quiet, then had run a decently successful smear campaign about a bitter, aging actor, now that Ganondorf had made it clear he wasn't backing down they were ready to settle.

"How much?"

"Well they want us to meet with their lawyers and work on your terms so I can't give you anything concrete." He answered.

"Is the meeting date set?" Ganondorf pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Talo's enthusiasm wasn't really helping his headache.

"Not yet, I need to know that you're willing to enter mediation." He answered.

"Of course." Ganondorf answered.

"Wonderful, I'll call you back once a date is set."

This lawsuit was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth, but at this point, Ganondorf was more than willing to see it through. It wasn't even about the money, he didn't need the money. He hung up with his lawyer and downed the rest of his breakfast. He started his morning workout routine when, to his surprise, his phone rang again. This time, it was Midna. He wondered what she could be calling for. The two of them had barely spoken since they'd shot Twilight Princess together. "Ganondorf speaking." He answered the phone.

"Geeze are you always so formal?" She asked playfully. He could hear the smile in her voice, he wasn't really in the mood. He didn't know what to say so he stayed silent to let her get to the point. "Link let me know last night that yesterday was your birthday, I was just calling to wish you a late happy birthday."

"You were out with them last night?"

"We try to go out at least once a month and keep in touch." She said. "How did you celebrate?" She asked.

"Drinking myself to sleep alone in my apartment." He answered dryly.

"Yikes, that's depressing." She said playfully, but immediately her attitude shifted to concern. "You really spent your birthday alone in your apartment?"

"Usually do."

"Ganondorf…" She was at a loss for words. "Why didn't you go out with Link and Zelda last night?"

"Wasn't invited." He answered.

"I'm so sorry! If I had known I would've suggested it to them." She sounded sincerely apologetic.

"Don't worry about me." He tried sounding cheerful, "I prefer it that way."

"But that's so boring and depressing!" He could almost envision her stamping her foot. "Come on, let me make it up to you. I'll take you out to Romani's tonight for a couple of jars of Chateau Romani and some live music." As in afterthought she added, "It's a lot quieter than Telma's. Perfect for catching up."

"Isn't that an exclusive place?" He asked, he was uncertain why she suddenly wanted to spend time with him.

"It's okay, I can bring a guest if you're not a member." She answered. She wasn't going to let him get out of this unless he gave a hard no.

He couldn't give her a hard no, the offer for company rarely came his way this easily and he had just been brooding about how lonely he was. "Why is this suddenly important to you?" He asked before letting her go.

She hesitated before answering. "Look, Link and Zelda are my friends but they did you dirty in Breath of the Wild and I feel bad." She paused again, when it was clear he wasn't saying anything else she started again. "I heard about your lawsuit, I don't think the tabloids are giving you a fair shake either."

He didn't want to talk about that with her right now, he frowned. "What time do you want to meet?" He asked.

"Eight?" she asked cheerfully. "Attire is semi-formal."

"Eight." He confirmed, he couldn't believe he was doing this.

They hung up and he finished his set and took a shower before taking his dog for a walk.

* * *

He had to admit he was nervous, he hadn't been out on a date in years. Was this a date? Should he bring flowers? Did Midna like flowers?

He at least knew how to dress himself stylishly enough, he wore a black silk shirt with a deep red sports jacket in the latest cut, his black pants were freshly pressed and his black shoes recently polished. He finished the look with diamond studs in his ears and a gold Isha watch with a black quartz face.

He took the elevator down to the parking garage where his black Stallion was waiting for him, it was a sleek luxury sports car with a deep orange-red streak along the drivers side.

Romani's was located on the south side of the Central Hyrule district. The heart of the city closed in around Ganondorf, making him feel claustrophobic, especially as he walked the block from the nearest parking lot to the Romani's. He towered over the crowd of mostly Hylians and he saw the flash from a few camera phones as he passed by. Some people treat celebrities like they were entitled to them, he thought.

Before he even reached his location he almost regretted coming out, that was until he saw her. She was as lovely as he remembered from the end of Twilight Princess. She had done something different with her hair since then. It was just as long but she had shaved the left side of it. She was impeccably dressed in a form-fitting strapless black dress, a blue Twilight style pattern subtly played around the knee-high slit.. Her black strappy heels raised her to meet his chin. She had topped the look off with black-gold hoops and a matching statement necklace.

"Ganondorf!" She covered the distance between them. "I was getting afraid you'd change your mind. Come on, I made a reservation so we're good to go." She said, pulling him past the line and into the club. The band had already started playing smooth jazz and the multicolored lights were dimmed to lend atmosphere without being garish. They descended the steps into the club and were led to a booth near the stage. He had to admit, it was a very nice place. They were served two jars of cold Chateau Romani right away. "To late birthdays!" Midna said, raising her jar in a toast.

Ganondorf took a pull of the frothy Chateau Romani and sat the jar down. "I still don't understand why you wanted to do this." He started, "We haven't really talked since the premiere party for Twilight Princess."

"I know, I'm so sorry about that." She said sincerely, "You know when you stop working together it's easy to just naturally grow apart. You've been in a lot more movies that me, how many actors have you kept in touch with after shooting?"

He thought about it, "Link and Zelda." He answered honestly.

"No way!" He could tell she was surprised. "You're telling me you haven't made one friend in your whole career besides those two?"

"Yeah, well, maybe I scare people because I play the villain." He mumbled, he knew it was a lame excuse.

"You don't scare me." He looked into her eyes again and found it hard to hold her knowing gaze for long so he took another pull of his Chateau Romani to excuse himself from eye contact. "You know Zant and I have kept in touch?"

"No shit?" He said, surprised. "How's he doing these days?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

He was about to answer when, "Ganondorf!" A loud voice came from the staircase, startling them both. Link was descending the staircase with Zelda just behind. "Long time no see, buddy!" Link continued.

"You didn't tell me they were coming." He said quietly to Midna.

"I didn't know they were." She answered.

"Put us over there." Link said to the hostess, pointing to their booth. He had invited himself to join were brought their own jars of Chateau Romani promptly. "Happy birthday, buddy! How old are you now anyway?"

"Forty-eight." Ganondorf muttered.

"Wow, two years to the big one, huh?" Link asked. He had already downed half his jar. Zelda at least had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"There was a time when we would have celebrated it at the studio." He said bitterly. Link wasn't getting the hint.

"Aw c'mon buddy, you're not still mad about Breath of the Wild are you?" He asked.

"Link maybe you shouldn't." Zelda looked worriedly between the two men. Midna sat silent.

"I don't know." He gritted his teeth, "Let's make a movie using your name and likeness without contacting you and imply in the script that you won't be returning to the role in favor of a special effects spider and a pig!" he almost spat the last word.

"Come on, man, I'm just an actor, you know I don't make studio decisions."

"Link, maybe we should go." Zelda touched her husband's shoulder.

"We just got here."

"Your father-in-law owns the studio." He said looking between Link's overconfident face and Zelda's guilty one. "You can't tell me you didn't see that script and have no control over your contributions."

"That's just showbiz, buddy, it wasn't personal." Link said casually.

"Excuse me." Ganondorf looked at Midna who, for her part, had been intently watching the exchange, "It _was_ nice of you to have me out tonight." He headed for the staircase and ascended to street level. He had sulked halfway down the block by the time Midna caught up to him, she was carrying her heels in her hands.

"Ganondorf, wait up!" She touched his arm and he pulled away. "I'm sorry, I really didn't know they were going to be here. Link can be clueless but he's a nice guy, and Zelda really does feel bad for her part."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now Midna, maybe some other time." He started walking away and he grimaced, he couldn't leave her like this. He turned around again with an apologetic look on his face. "Look, let me walk you to your car and we'll do this again some other time." He said, nicer this time.

Her expression was equal parts relief and a tired look he couldn't quite read. "If you want to." She sighed.

They walked to her parking spot without talking and when they reached her car she fiddled with the keys for a moment before climbing inside. "Midna…" He stopped her from closing the door right away. She looked up at him. "Thank you for having me out tonight." he said, and then shut her door for her and watched her drive off.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back in the opposite direction to his own car. Just as he walked into the parking garage he heard a raised voice coming around the corner. "C'mon, sweetheart, I'm not such a bad guy. Come on back to my place." The owner of that voice was obviously drunk.

The voice that answered was one he recognized. Feminine, with an almost robotic quality to it. "I can assess that your chances of success are at zero percent. I would advise you to leave me alone now." Ganondorf entered the alley just as she had turned away. The moblin grabbed her by the cape and pulled her back.

"Hey!" Ganondorf's voice boomed across the alley. Both of them stopped and looked in his direction. "She said to leave her alone."

"Fuck off! This's got nothin' to do with you, pal." The moblin slurred. Ganondorf began marching towards them wordlessly. He wasn't in the mood for this drunken slob at the moment. Sometimes being intimidating looking had its perks and the moblin dropped Fi and ran into the next street. She floated into an upright position as he reached her.

"Are you okay?" He asked once he'd reached her.

"I can assess that I have come to no physical harm." She said, though her voice was trembling a bit. "The situation may have had less than desirable outcomes without your interference. Gratitude is in order."

Ganandorf rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. "Yeah well, anyone would've done the same thing." He looked around, Fi had never struck him as the type to hang around dark alleys at night. Then again, he barely knew her so who was he to say? "How'd you get in such a mess anyhow?"

"I was at this location to meet with friends and they have not arrived. I resolved to walk home when the stranger approached me from behind and made a lewd proposition. I can confirm that my negative response did not dissuade him as I anticipated." She answered.

"Would you like a ride the rest of the way? I'd hate to leave you all alone after that." He offered.

"I can assess that the probability of a second attack is minimal. I shall be grateful for the transportation despite these odds." She answered.

"You know a simple 'yes' or 'no' is enough, right?" She didn't answer him.

He walked her to his car and opened the passenger door for her. She floated into the car in her strange, graceful way. "I don't really know where you live." He told her, "You'll have to give me directions."

She led him out of Central Hyrule with the precision and conciseness of his GPS. He thought about his conversation with Midna in Romani's and decided to take the time to try and make conversation, even if he found her mannerisms exhausting. "We never really talked after Skyward Sword." He started. "What have you been up to since then?"

"I do not recall us having many encounters during the shooting of the film either." She said as a kind of answer. "I have decided to pursue a musical career since then."

He tried puzzling out which instruments a girl with no arms could play, her voice had a slight musical quality but he couldn't imagine the kinds of lyrics she would write with her speech pattern. "What do you play?" He asked.

"Turn left in thirty meters. I have become quite proficient with a theremin." She answered.

"Sorry, I don't even know what that is." He turned left. "You walked from all the way out here?" He asked. They had turned onto the narrow street of some crowded suburb in the Akkala. The skyline of Central Hyrule was well behind them and row after row of the same ugly, blocky, Bolson construction style houses were pressed close together. The Akkala Citadel rose over the neighborhood, the only large structure visible in the sea of squat, multicolored buildings.

"I have never found travelling on foot tiring." She answered the second question first. "A theremin is an electronic musical instrument which produces sound without physical contact from the operator. It produces an otherworldly sound."

"I'll have to see it sometime to understand, I think." He said.

"I have a performance scheduled next tuesday at the Forest Stage. I will be able to send you a ticket if you are still curious about the operation of a theremin."

"I'll be there." First Midna, and now Fi, how had his life gotten more social in less than a day?

She pointed out her home and he dropped her off. Before she walked into her house, she turned to him. "My gratitude is in order again for the ride."

"It was my pleasure." He answered stiffly.

The drive home felt too long, he turned the radio on to try and chase away his thoughts. He hadn't heard of the Forest Stage before, he'd have to look it up. When he walked into the door of his apartment his dog leapt up excitedly and licked his face. "Down, Din!" He patted her anyway. "What the hell, it's only eleven, there's time for a quick walk before bed." So he walked her around the block, still lost in thought about all the events of the evening.

He decided to properly apologize to Midna tomorrow, maybe he'd have flowers sent to her house. That felt too impersonal but he didn't know anything she liked. He could have an invitation for another night out sent with them to make it meaningful.

He tried hard not to think about Link. When had the guy become such a bore? Had he never noticed it before? Part of him felt sorry for Zelda, she'd looked so embarrassed with him. Everyone loved Hyrule's power couple and the two usually kept the uglier side of their relationship out of the public eye. Ganondorf decided Link must have been at least a little drunk before they'd walked into Romani's.

As he climbed into bed and Din loyally curled up beside him, he thought about Fi. There wasn't much to think about, she was just an unusual colleague he'd run into by chance, but as he closed his eyes, he was finding it hard to get her face out of his mind.

**Author's Note: I actually have no clue what prompted me to write something like this but I had it in me and churned out eleven pages in a google doc in a single evening so I guess this is something I'm writing now.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: This chapter deals with themes of domestic abuse**

He gave up on sleep around one in the morning and went to his balcony for a smoke. The street below him was nearly empty at this hour. He liked the relative quiet on this side of town. In the distance he could see the bright lights of Central thought about texting Fi, but he didn't have her number. He would probably wake her anyway. Instead, he looked up the Forest Stage. It was a run-down looking community theatre on the south side of Woodland, not exactly a stage at the Goddess. It took him a bit of looking to find her. She was opening for "The Rosa Sisters present: The Kamaro." He could still buy a decent ticket ticket in the front section, so he did.

He was about to pocket his phone again when he remembered Midna. He took a drag of his cigarette and looked for a flower delivery service on his phone. He stared at the "special messages" box for a long time, wondering what to add. It needed to sound personal, but not too personal. He wondered if he should set up another date on the card or if he should leave it open ended and leave her in control. "Thanks for the night out, we should do it again sometime" he typed it out and inspected it for a moment before he was satisfied. He didn't want to appear clingy at such an early stage. He scheduled to have them sent to her condo that afternoon.

He finished his smoke and headed back to bed. Din had stretched out into his spot and he had to nudge her over. She snorted in response.

* * *

He laid in bed until five that morning and gave up on sleep. He put on a whole pot of coffee, he was going to need it to get through the day.

His phone rang around eleven just like yesterday. "Incoming call: Talo and Malo Law Firm."

"Hey, Ganon, it's your lawyer." Talo started. Ganondorf gritted his teeth.

"I know, Talo. Is the date set?"

"We have a mediation set for the thirteenth. This is it, baby!" He sounded too excited, he must be imagining what he'd be doing with his percentage, Ganondorf figured.

"Sounds good." He said. They hung up.

He took Din for a walk. He was stopped at an intersection when his phone buzzed. It was a text from Midna. "I love the flowers! I'll let you decide when we meet again." There was a black heart emoji at the end. At least now he knew she wanted him to take some initiative. He wondered where he could take her. Din tugged at her leash when the signal changed to "walk", derailing his train of thought.

By the time they reached his building again he was a bit short of breath. "Felling you age, old man?" He mentally chided himself. He could see his reflection in the doors of the elevator. The lines on his face hadn't deepened overnight, but his birthday had brought more of his attention to them. They were etched around his eyes like the hatch marked shading in an art student's sketchbook. They rippled thinly across his forehead. Two deep lines enclosed the corners of his mouth. At least he'd kept his hairline intact, even if a stray white hair was beginning to make an appearance here and there. His jawline was still strong but his cheeks were looking shallower than they used to. He frowned at the reflection, which only made the wrinkles more prominent. He decided the results could be worse and the elevator doors slid open on his floor, hiding his reflection from view. Din barked at him. "Don't be so quick to judge, you're getting white around the muzzle, girl." He responded as they stepped out of the elevator.

Zelda was standing outside his door, waiting. She was dressed discreetly and a large pair of sunglasses covered her face, but he recognised her. "Did some birthday wish for a social life come true while I was drunk?" He grimaced. "I take it back."

"Are you going to let me in? It might be trouble for both of us if I'm seen here." She started.

"Nice to see you again too, Zelda." He opened the door and let her go first. She stepped in and sat down on the sleek leather couch facing the window. "Make yourself at home."

"Nice view." She said, keeping her eyes fixed forward.

"You didn't come here to make small talk about my view, I hope." He sat down in the chair opposite her.

"I came to apologize for last night." She looked away from him and folded her arms, taking a very defensive posture. "I haven't been a good friend to you recently, but you deserve an apology in person."

"Is that all you came here for?" He leaned forward, trying to look her in the eyes. She averted her gaze and nodded. He'd known Zelda since she was a child in their first movie, when had she gotten so timid? "You have nothing to apologize for, Zelda. You didn't do anything wrong last night. Link should be if anyone."

"Link doesn't really 'do' apologies." She said. She slid her sunglasses slowly off her face. "Believe me, I did suggest it."

Ganondorf gasped. Zelda had carefully applied make-up around her left eye to effectively hide the discoloration, but there was no covering the swelling. She looked like she was fighting away tears when she looked into his eyes. "Zelda!" He moved quickly and sat beside her. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't touch me! I'm fine!" She shouted, but she leaned into his shoulder and cried. He felt her small body tremble and quake in his arms. For a long time, he stayed quiet and just let her cry. Din leapt up on the couch on the other side of Zelda and laid her head in her lap.

Finally, she pulled away from him. The make-up was gone and a dark purple patch glistened underneath the teary smudge. Ganondorf handed her a box of tissues. "Has he done this before? Does Rhoam know about this?"

Zelda shook her head and took a deep breath. "Of course dad doesn't know about this. My marriage is none of his business." She wiped her eyes and scratched Din between the ears. Ganondorf disagreed. If he had a daughter being beaten he knew he'd make it his business.

"Do you need somewhere safe to stay?" He asked.

"I'm safe at home." She insisted. Was she trying to convince herself or him? "Besides, the studio can't take any more bad publicity right now."

"I'll drop the lawsuit then." He said without missing a beat.

"No!" She answered just as quickly. "Really, I'm going to be fine. Link isn't dangerous, he just… loses his temper when he's drunk. Really, that's not him. You should've seen how sorry he was this morning."

"Zelda!" His voice rose, he startled her. "How many times does he have to be sorry before it doesn't mean anything?" She didn't answer him. "Let me drop the lawsuit. They can make whatever statements they want about some petty, washed up actor, it's not important. I need you to get out of there."

"You can drop it if you want but it's not going to make me leave him." She had stiffened now. She stood up and headed towards the door. He followed her. She put her sunglasses back in place. "All I came here to do was apologize for ruining your date with Midna, I did that. I can see myself out. Don't you say anything about this. I mean it." He watched her walk to the elevator and his heart sank. He'd always felt protective of Zelda, like a father, and he'd watched her grow from a wild child into a beautiful, respectable woman. There was a time he had the same feelings about Link. He'd always been proud of the boy but as he watched him grow into a man, he watched an arrogance grow in him that Ganondorf didn't like, and now it had come to this. He poured himself a glass of wine and wondered what he could do to help, if he could do anything to help. Ironically, he felt powerless.


	3. Chapter 3

"Earth to Ganondorf, are you still with me?"Midna was waving her hand in front of his eyes.

He blinked. "Sorry, Midna." He said and took a sip of his wine. He had taken her out to a nice restaurant in the Gerudo district. "I've just had a few things on my mind tonight."

"Oh, do they have names? These 'things' on your mind?" She leaned forward and smiled playfully.

"Well, you spend time with Link and Zelda, have you noticed anything… different about them recently?"

It was clear Midna hadn't expected the conversation to take a serious turn. She took a sip of her wine before she said anything else. She looked as though she was thinking carefully about her next words. "Different in what way?" her gaze took on a different meaning.

She knew something, he could tell. He wasn't ready to reveal what he knew either. "Zelda seemed miserable the other night, and Link was certainly more rude than the man I'd known." He matched her expression. "_Do you know what I know?" _He asked with his eyes.

She patted her mouth with her cloth napkin, stalling. Her eyes darted down away from his. She knew. "Zelda and I have spoken." She said, vaguely. 'However, she is very defensive about the topic. I haven't been able to get through to her."

"She came to my apartment yesterday." It was clear neither of them was willing to speak the harsh reality aloud to each other. They were quiet for a while. He decided enough time had passed and it was time to try and bring a little more levity to the evening. "I thought about what you said last time we got together, about getting back in touch with old cast members. I ran into Fi after we went our own ways."

"Fi? Ah, the girl from Skyward Sword. I hardly know her. What has she been up to?" Midna had a kind of detached boredom from the subject. Ganondorf thought she might still be thinking about Zelda.

"She's doing music these days." He answered. "She invited me to her show this Tuesday."

"Why, Ganondorf! I never expected you to be the type to have multiple women!" She was back to her playful self.

"Midna, you're a beautiful, talented, and interesting woman and I have no clue why you'd be interested in me. You have no need to fear." He assured her, defensively.

"Well, how can I argue with praise like that?" She smiled. "How did you run into her, anyway?"

"She was in the process of being assaulted. I offered her a ride home." He grimaced at the memory of the moblin grabbing Fi's cloak.

"You saved her!" Midna smiled, "They ought to cast you as the hero every once in a while."

"Oh it wasn't anything special." He tried to assure her, "I was just in the right place at the right time. Anyone would have done the same thing."

"No, I don't think so." She said, her tone got serious, "I think you're a rare breed, Ganondorf."

"What makes you say that? We barely know each other." How was she so good at making him feel embarrassed?

"I know a few things already, I know you're solitary, I know your dog is well taken care of, you save women from being assaulted on the street. You are a good person, Ganondorf. You're also a very talented actor, you've played a convincing villain for years." She leaned back, a look of satisfaction crossed her face.

"Midna, I would hate to disappoint you but I think your expectations are too high." He didn't feel comfortable being built up this much.

"You're going to have to prove me wrong then. Have you ever hurt someone? Like really, intentionally, done some damage you can't repair to a relationship?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "The lawsuit doesn't count, they hit you first there."

Her question brought old images to mind. Red hair, golden eyes, a soft voice, gentle hands. He shook his head. "I don't think this is a…" his words caught in his throat and he coughed a few times, trying to keep quiet while doing so, it passed as quickly as it came. "I don't think this is a second date conversation." He said. "Maybe someday I'll answer that for you."

"Color me intrigued." She smiled mischievously, "I can't wait to get to know the real Ganondorf."

"_Will you say the same once you have?" _He wondered.

* * *

He drove her home after dinner. Three glasses of wine had made her just slightly tipsy. "Hey why don't you come inside?" She offered when he parked in her space. She placed her hand on his.

He shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea tonight, Midna."

"Oh, I'm not that drunk, I know what I'm doing." Her tone was serious.

"I believe you, I just would like to get to know you better first." He responded.

"You're such a gentleman." She teased, hitting him on the shoulder. She leaned in towards him with her eyes closed and he met her halfway. When their lips met he considered taking her up on her offer. Her mouth was eager as it pressed against his. His fingers intertwined in her hair near the base of her neck as he held her close. Her tongue pressed itself into his mouth, exploring him, coaxing his tongue to do the same once it had drawn back. They kissed and kissed again until finally, she pulled away. "Offers' still on the table." She said.

He pulled her forward and kissed her forehead gently. "Goodnight, Midna." He turned her down again. He watched her get safely into her building before he pulled out and drove home.


	4. Chapter 4

The online pictures of the Forest Stage made the place look positively opulent compared to the real deal. The carpet in the lobby had maintained it's deep green color only at the seams where the floor met the wall, the rest was thin and faded to a sickly yellow, the wallpaper was peeling in the corners and seven small bulbs in the dusty chandelier were out. The interior was no escape from the dreary clouds outside, Ganondorf noted. He hadn't needed to reserve a ticket online at all, half the seats in the theater were empty. He sat down near the front just before the house lights had gone down and a spotlight was unceremoniously pointed at a theremin on an empty stage.

Fi floated out noiselessly and bowed to the sparse audience. She didn't say a word, but Ganondorf could hear her sharp intake of breath before she began her routine. She kicked her legs gracefully into the air, as her heels swept by the antenna on the machine it let out a ghostly, oscillating sound and then quieted as she moved into a kind of pirouette, the theremin wavered and died, an ugly distracting noise the Ganondorf hardly heard.

He was enraptured by the way Fi moved across the stage. She spun and leapt, kicking her heels over her head and quickly righting herself to kick herself into the air once more. Her cape twirled around her but never tangled around her body, a demonstration of her intense control over every part of her as she spun high into the air and landed, striking her right foot to the floor while her left ankle swung next to her ear. He had forgotten entirely that she was moving around a noisy machine until someone in the audience booed and pulled him out of his reverie. Two others joined the booer and Fi wavered in her dance until the stage manager stepped out from behind the curtain and quietly ushered her away. A stagehand stepped out and packed the instrument into its suitcase. The manager apologized for the act and announced the Rosa Sisters.

Ganondorf stepped out before the Sister act even made it onto the stage. He stood at the front door and scanned the street. Even if she'd gone out a side door she couldn't have gone far. When he didn't see her he felt a twinge of anxiety. What if he'd missed her? What if she'd gone out behind the building? He didn't know why but it felt urgent to talk to her. He couldn't bear the thought that he'd missed her. Just as he'd resolved to go stalking down dark alleys and even show up at her house if he couldn't find her here, she floated out of the alley on his right. Her suitcase floated beside her.

She looked in his direction and began to hurry away from him. "Fi, wait!" He rushed after her, she sped off, her body becoming parallel with the ground as she rushed to get away from him. He caught up with her at the end of the block and grabbed her ankle, surprising them both, she dropped her suitcase. He released her as soon as he caught her and she stood with her back to him. "I'm sorry!" he said quickly, he didn't want to scare her or anything "I'm not usually in the habit of grabbing people." He stepped back and cleared his throat. "I just…" He pointed to the suitcase on the ground. "I can pay for that, if it's broken."

"It does not matter. I will not be needing it." Her voice was wavering. "I'm sorry you had to see my performance."

"Nonsense! I'm glad I got to see it, you dance wonderfully."

"This is the third stage I have been rushed off of this month. Reception to my act indicates poor future returns. My prospects for success are falling below fifty percent. It is time I swallow my pride and ask for my old job back." She said. As if to punctuate her sadness, the clouds finally let go of their rain. Droplets began to dot the sidewalk around them like warning shots before the downpour began.

Ganondorf looked up at the sky and grimaced as a fat water droplet splashed on his forehead. "Well now I can't let you walk home in this. If you won't let me give you a ride at least let me buy you a coffee and wait out this rain."

"I am not in the mood and I promised my brother I would be home at a certain time. He will be worried if I am late."

"Your brother? Alright, I'll get you home." He put his jacket over her, she didn't protest and followed him to his car. "If it's any comfort to you, I think you dance beautifully, you just need the appropriate music and your career is going to take off, I'm sure." She remained quiet for a while. He tried changing the subject, he didn't want to spend the car ride in silence. "You said you'd go back to your old job, what was that?" He asked, thinking it was an innocent enough question.

"I am surprised at you!" She said, "We have been cast members together for decades now. Did I truly leave such little impact?"

"Oh, right. I forgot you're a sword, we didn't formally meet until your debut in Skyward. That's been you this whole time?"

"Rhoam has been dealing with powers he does not understand since he started his studio. But he is not foolish enough to coax out the Beast of Power without the true Master Sword to put it back. You and I have met time and time again in many climactic battles." Ganondorf winced at her mention of the Beast, she noticed. "You do not like that side of yourself?"

"I try to separate myself from that monster as much as possible, he and I have a strictly professional relationship." He answered grudgingly. He didn't like to think about the boar if he didn't have to.

"But it is a part of you." She said, matter-of-factly.

"It is not!" He slammed on his breaks to avoid running a red light, both passengers lurched forward. Fi's eyes were wide when he managed to look at her. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears. "That mindless Beast and I are not the same. It is part of this dreadful joke the Goddesses play on mankind. Power? Does a powerful man lose control of his own mind and body? Hm?" She didn't answer "The Goddesses have a talent for irony or no love for us mortals, probably both. I can't choose to refuse their 'gifts' but I will not allow them into my identity."

He hadn't meant to get angry with her. As the light turned green he was prepared to finish the car ride in silence, sure he'd ruined his chances of building a friendship with her, still unsure as to why it felt so important.

She remained quiet as they drove past the Akkala Citadel and when she spoke again, her tone was gentle and cautious, as though she was placating a wild animal. "I admit I am not knowledgeable on many things, but I have struck your heart time and again for many years and that I know very well. Man or beast, the heart that beats within is the same." She said, "We should turn right here."

"Isn't your house on the left?" Ganondorf asked.

"I predict that my brother will not be too worried if I am away just a bit longer. I have the sudden desire to go to the beach."

It was still raining outside, and night had properly settled over Hyrule, but Ganondorf turned right and made his way to the shoreline. They parked near a pier and sat down next to each other beneath it, watching the waves strike the columns and suck the sand away from their bases as they fled back to the ocean.

"Why did you want to come out here?"

"I did not want to end our second meeting on bad terms. I can assess that what I said has made you upset. It would indicate poor chances of meeting again." She said. "And I like the ocean."

He sat and watched the waves for a while longer and tried thinking carefully about his next words. "The same heart, huh?" It wasn't the question he'd meant to ask.

"What?"

"You said in the car that man or beast, the heart was the same."

"It is not a bad thing." She told him, "The goddesses granted us mysterious gifts but power was among them, it can be used for good if it has a purpose."

"I never wanted to use it at all. These silly movies were Rhoam's idea." He looked down at his hand, the sacred triangle was burned to his skin like a brand. "I'm not sure what good it could ever be."

"I predict you will find a purpose someday. You should not be ashamed of that side of yourself, it is a great gift."

"I hope you're right, but in almost fifty years, I haven't seen it do any good yet."

When she didn't answer him, they both sat and stared at the waves for a while longer. It was when he felt his eyelids growing heavy that he turned to her, and found her already asleep on the sand. He moved to wake her, but first, he got a look at her. The clouds had parted and the moonlight reflected across her surfaces, making her metallic body look like the face of a calm lake. She lay on her side and her serene face was shadowed. She looked somehow so young and also so wise, he had to remind himself she was an ages old sword and not a very young woman, although he couldn't deny she was beautiful.

"Fi…" he whispered. She didn't wake. He carefully touched her shoulder as though he were afraid to break her.

"A moment more, Ghira, I have had the loveliest dream." She muttered and stirred.

Ganondorf wondered what she could be dreaming about. "Fi." He gave her a tiny shake. She stirred and sat up.

At first she blinked and looked confused, then she abruptly leapt to a standing position and floated back in one quick motion. Her cape whipped around her. "I am sorry." She said. "I am not accustomed to breaking my routine. I assure you your company did not bore me."

"Hey, that's alright." He groaned as he stood up, his legs and lower back felt stiff. "_Old man." _He scolded himself. "We should get you home. I'm sure your brother is probably worried."

"How long have we been out?" She asked.

"It's almost midnight." He said looking at his watch.

"I promised Ghira I would be home two hours ago!"

"Hey, it's alright as long as you get home safe, right?" He tried calming her down.

"I predict he will be at least sixty percent upset."

"See that's not so bad, right? He'll be relieved you've been safe all this time at least."

"I suppose…"

They drove quietly again but it was a comfortable quiet between them now.

Ghirahim was not asleep, or even waiting inside the house. He was sitting on the front porch when Ganondorf's car parked on the street. He was already marching to the vehicle when Ganondorf stopped Fi from getting out.

"There's a dance school in Central Hyrule adjacent to the Goddess Theater. Let me sponsor you." He knew he wanted to see her dance again and again.

"Fi!" Ghirahim was standing outside the passenger side of the car.

"Your offer is very generous but I can not accept such a gift." She answered. "I will go back to the studio tomorrow."

"Please, Fi." Ganondorf said, "My offer is selfish, I want to see you dance again." Did a purple blush grace her blue cheeks or were the shadows playing tricks on his eyes?

The passenger door opened and Ghirahim ducked inside. "Fi- oh!" He stopped whatever he was going to say, surprised by Ganondorf in the driver's seat. His eyes gleamed with amusement.

"I will consider the offer!" Fi said quickly, she rushed out of the car, pushing Ghirahim out with her.

"I was so worried about you!" Ghirahim said theatrically, "I didn't expect you to be on a date." He teased.

"It was not a date." She insisted. She shut the car door behind her and Ganondorf took off before he could be invited in. The further he drove away from her, the tighter his chest felt. He lit a cigarette to calm his nerves.

As a Gerudo he was no stranger to women, he had spent his boyhood among only women. Why was this one having such an effect on him? _"I have struck your heart time and again for many years." _She had told him. Without even being nearby, she was landing a hundred more blows.

* * *

He was so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed the Gerudo girl trying to get his attention before he entered the building. When he entered his apartment, the call box was buzzing. He wondered who could be trying to visit at such a late hour. He thought about ignoring it and climbing into bed, but he answered anyway. "Who is it?" He asked.

"Is this Ganondorf?" The voice on the other end was young and had an unmistakable Gerudo accent.

"It is."

"My name is Riju… I'm your daughter."


	5. Chapter 5

"Well maybe I would have been there for her if I knew she _existed, _Nabooru!" He shouted into the phone. Riju sat patiently on the couch, watching him pace the living room. "No I didn't contact her, she found me… That's not a judgement you can make when you didn't _tell _me."

Riju took the phone from his hands. "Mom, I want to stay here for a while and get to know him!" Riju insisted. "... No, he didn't contact me. I found your old wedding pictures in the attic… Well there's only _one_ Gerudo man, he wasn't hard to find from old pictures... I made this choice, trust me, okay? I never get in trouble, why don't you trust me?... I don't know how long but I'll call you every day… I promise." She handed the phone back to Ganondorf but Nabooru had already hung up.

He let out a deep, heavy sigh as he sank into the chair across from her. "Your mom is just as tiring as I remember." He smirked. She sat on the couch with her feet tucked under her and her knees spread out. He counted backwards in his mind, how many years since the divorce? Nabooru must have gone to great lengths to keep Riju's birth out of the press. Not that he ever read tabloids but he was sure he would have noticed the announcement. "You're what, sixteen now?" He asked.

Riju nodded. "I'll be seventeen in four months." She said.

Ganondorf resented Nabooru for all those missed birthdays. It wouldn't have saved their marriage, but he would have wanted to _be _there. "I guess I better get the guest room set up for you." He got up. He thought about the absurdity of having a guest room he had never used before as Riju helped him spread fresh sheets on the bed. Well, it could be hers now. He had to admit, it was nice to have it occupied for once. He put fresh towels in her bathroom and left her to get comfortable. He crawled into bed, Din curled up beside him. His clock read 2:36, It was the third long night in a row and this time, he easily sank into deep sleep.

* * *

_"Action!" The director called out. The studio lights nearly blinded him and he shaded his eyes with his hands. _

_The Beast of Power, Ganon, was standing before him. The massive boar stood upright, it's muscular arms crossed over it's bare chest, its tail swished behind it impatiently. "Release me!" It demanded._

_"What's going on?" Ganondorf looked around but the studio was empty. It was just him and the Beast. "I won't." He answered it._

_Out of nowhere, a rainstorm began raging around them. Thunder and lightning was the only sound that could be heard over the wind. The Beast roared and lashed out with a giant clawed hand. "You can't stop me, I am the real power here! Without me you are nothing. Weak. Weak!" Ganondorf was knocked to the muddy ground._

_"You've got it backwards." He yelled over the storm. He picked himself up and looked the monster in its fiery eyes. He was determined to stand his ground. "I am your cage. _You _can't do anything without _me_." He gave the monster a defiant smile and wiped the cold mud off his face with the back of his hand._

_It roared again and pinned him to the ground under a massive paw. "You are old. You think you can keep me contained. You're angry, about your job, about Zelda, and now your daughter." Ganondorf could feel the monster's hot breath on his face, it's tusks grazed against the ground, its claws tightened around his shoulders and he felt it pressing down on his chest. He struggled to breathe. "Old, complacent, angry. My favorite combination. We both know you want this" It growled and then opened its jaws wide to consume him. He screamed as its teeth closed around him._

* * *

He sat straight up. His heart hammered on his chest as though it were trying to escape and his breathing was heavy. He was drenched in a cold sweat. His limbs felt heavy and useless. Din was startled beside him and laid still, watching him carefully. It had been years since he'd dreamed about Ganon.

When the Triforce of Power was first bestowed upon him in his twenties, he felt the Beast constantly as though it hid just under his skin, ready to come out at any moment. He always wondered what it was like for Link and Zelda, but they never brought the subject up and he didn't want to load his problems onto children. Now years later, he felt much more in control and barely noticed the monster. It didn't seem relevant to ask the other two about their experience.

The clock now read 5:52. What the hell, his alarm would go off in eight minutes anyway, what was the point of trying to go back to sleep? He walked out to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water before starting his morning workout. He could hear the shower running in the guest bathroom as he walked down the hall. It seemed Riju was an early riser as well. Good to know. He added it to the sparse list of things he knew about her now:

His daughter

Morning person

He started the coffee pot for her, not that he knew if she drank coffee, and then went back to his bedroom to do his workout and take his own shower.

Riju was sitting at his kitchen counter, she had helped herself to a cup of coffee. "G'morning." She smiled.

"Would you like some breakfast?" He asked.

"I don't really eat breakfast this early, it makes me feel sick." She took a sip of her coffee

"Me too." He shut the fridge and poured himself a cup of coffee.

He stepped out onto his balcony and Riju followed. The sun was just peaking over the horizon and the Gerudo sands were washed a pale pink color by the rays, they reflected off the buildings around them and made the city look like a pale rainbow. They could see the mansions dotting the highlands in the distance. "Wow, what a view!" Riju said. Ganondorf lit a cigarette to go with his coffee. Riju reached for his pack and he pocketed it. "Mom lets me smoke." She protested.

He raised an eyebrow at her and took a drag. "Nice try. Your mom hates smoking. It's been seventeen years but I can't believe she changed _that _much."

"You never know."

"Regardless this isn't your mom's house, we follow my rules here." For some reason, that made Riju smile. They both leaned against the banister for a while to watch the sunrise, taking quiet sips of their coffee. "You ought to be graduating soon. Any ideas about what you want to study in college?" It was the first question that came to mind.

It seemed he'd accidentally struck a nerve. "I don't need college." She said, grumpily, "Mom's got it all planned out for me to follow you guys into acting. She's got me an agent and everything. Didn't you know? I had a major role in the last movie." She didn't sound all that happy about it. Ganondorf wasn't either, he'd prefer if Riju stayed far away from Rhoam and the artifacts he was abusing as movie props.

"I didn't watch this one but I might have to remedy that if you're in it." He tried cheering her up, "Is acting what you want?"

Riju held her mug up to her lips to stall her answer but Ganondorf didn't revoke the question. She wouldn't make eye contact with him. "Sure." She said in an overly enthusiastic tone when she lowered her mug.

"Now don't do that." He warned her, "We shouldn't start our relationship with lies."

"If I answer, I get to ask you a question, no lying."

"No lying." He promised.

"And don't laugh either, I already know it's a crazy competitive field."

"I won't laugh either."

"I wanna be a dragon researcher." She said. "I wanna know everything there is to know about them and maybe even discover something new. I want to be able to work around them all the time and see them every day. How cool would that be?"

"Very cool." He agreed. "Acting isn't nearly as cool as dragons." That made Riju smile. The sun was properly above the horizon now and it was baking the desert sands under angry rays. Ganondorf pressed the end of his cigarette into his ashtray. He never smoked inside. Riju and Ganondorf stepped back inside out of the heat. He sat in his armchair and Riju stretched out on the couch facing him. Din jumped up to sit beside her and Riju scratched her on the top of her head absently.

"I get to ask you a question now." She said. A mischievous smile played on her face. "No backing out."

"Go for it."

"Why did you and mom get divorced?" A predictable enough question, he thought.

"Hmm…" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking carefully about how to answer. "Does it have to be _this_ question?" He asked.

"You promised." She insisted.

He took a deep breath, "Sometimes, when you're young, you think you know everything." He started. "I was twenty and she was eighteen and we both have… forceful personalities, to put it lightly. Two years into our marriage, Rhoam came to me with a business scheme and the Triforce got into the mix."

"Oh yeah." Riju interrupted. "I forgot about that." She glanced at his hand. He cleared his throat and rested his unblemished hand over the mark.

"Anyway. All our plans changed after that." He said. "We had always talked about starting a family before then but…" No, he decided he didn't have to go into details about Ganon with her to answer the question. "I was afraid of losing control for a long time, so I distanced myself from her. I didn't want to hurt her. By the time I got a grip on this whole Triforce of Power thing, I'd let our marriage slip through my fingers. Not to mention she always insisted before that she didn't mind, but by the time she was turning thirty, she was asking about having children again." He watched Riju shift in her seat. "By that point I'd become well aquatinted with the destruction I was capable of. I didn't want to take unnecessary risks with a child's life. Then one day, Nabooru slapped the papers down in front of me, said she couldn't live like that anymore."

He trailed off again, remembering that morning. Angry tears had gathered in the corner of her eyes. "Let me go." She had begged. Maybe she was sincere, maybe she wanted to see if he'd fight to save their marriage. Dumbstruck, he'd picked up the pen without saying a word. She didn't ask for much in the proceedings, he'd let her keep their home in the Highlands.

"She never told me she was pregnant. I signed everything right there for her." He finished quickly before the memories could pour out of him.

"It was me?" Riju asked.

"No." Ganondorf leaned forward, looked her in the eyes and spoke very seriously. "Do not believe for a second this was your fault. I'm sure your mom did what she thought was right to keep you safe. I might have picked up that pen even faster if she had told me." Riju flinched. That last sentence was the wrong thing to say and he knew it as soon as he said it. "It's not for a lack of wanting you." He hurried to assure her. "I'm angry with your mother for robbing me of birthday parties, sports games, school plays, whatever you were doing. I wish I had been there, but I would have always kept my distance because I was afraid of myself. That's not your fault." His thoughts drifted briefly back to his disturbing dream from the night before. He put it aside.

Riju nodded and bit her lip, he could tell she was holding back tears. "That's not fair." She said at last. There was another long awkward silence. She wasn't wrong.

"Hey, this day's too nice to spend it inside talking about sad things, and I have a great idea about how to spend it." He said.

* * *

The Faron nature preserve was practically empty on a day this hot and humid. It was as if the city of Hyrule was covered under a thick, sweaty blanket, a jungle was the last place anyone wanted to be. "Why are we here?" Riju looked skeptical.

"Trust me, I think you're going to like this. We have a bit of a hike ahead and not a lot of time to get there." Was all he would say. He'd been vague all morning but he had convinced her to put on suitable hiking attire. He attached Din's least to her harness and grabbed the backpack he'd filled with water bottles and sandwiches for lunch. The parking lot abruptly stopped at the wall of trees and a narrow trail was marked by a humble sign. He headed off.

"Why are you being so secretive?" She followed after him.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." A teasing smile spread across his face.

They promised they'd ask each other easier questions while they hiked and back and forth they went.

"Do you play any sports?"

"Softball. What's your favorite food?"

"Anything spicy. Do you have a boyfriend?"

"I did but we broke up because I'm taller than him. Boys are stupid like that. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I've been on a few dates but nothing's official. Do you have a driver's license yet?"

"Of course I do. Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nice try, you wasted your question. What's your favorite Subject in school?"

"Biology."

And back and forth they went like that as they marched at a steady pace along the mulched path. Forest soon turned into a dense jungle with ancient Zonai statues half buried in the earth and water flooding parts of the path so they had to leap over it or get their socks wet. They came to a checkpoint just before the bridge that stretched across Lake Floria. The three waterfalls on the other end of the lake caused a cool mist to fall over the area, something the sweaty duo and the panting dog were grateful for.

Ganondorf checked his watch. "Looks like we're right on time." He said with relief.

"Are you gonna tell me for what yet?" She asked.

"Well why don't we go out on the bridge and take a look." He said.

There were maybe fifteen other people on the bridge waiting quietly for something to happen. When Ganondorf and Riju joined the cluster he frowned when he noticed a few of them nervously moved to stand further down the bridge. His annoyance vanished as a small Sheikah girl sitting on her father's shoulders was the first to point and let out a cry of glee.

Farosh, one of the three great dragons, flowed gracefully over the hill, his serpentine body rippled like a silk ribbon as it followed the waterfall down to float over the surface of the lake below.

A strong wind whistled through the small crowd and people _oohed _and _aahed _at the majesty before them. Riju clasped her hands over her mouth, but her smile spread beyond her fingers as the surprise washed over her. "Dad! This is so beautiful!" She laughed. "I've never been this close before!"

Ganondorf barely looked at the dragon, he was taking in his first sight of Riju's joy. "You said 'dad'. I could get used to that." He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug as Farosh glided over the bridge directly over them. He was so close, the two Gerudo might have been able to run their hands along his belly scales. Riju didn't take her eyes off the dragon until it crested over a hill to the South and was gone from sight.


End file.
